


Repair My Heart

by kou_hi



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25947283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kou_hi/pseuds/kou_hi
Summary: "At some point he’s accepted that he’s a shitty person. But Ace doesn’t care. Maybe not too much. But that was also okay. Everyone’s shitty, one way or another. And that was okay."OrAce has a visit from the ghosts of his past (no pun intended) when he talks about his ex-girlfriend
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Repair My Heart

“Asking Ace about love would be pitiful,” Grim cackles as he folds his paws. “There’s no way he’d know anything about it. 

“There’s no way such a twisted and mean guy would be popular.” 

“Actually?” Ace interjects casually. “I had a girlfriend in middle school.” 

“W-what?!” 

_ Shit _ . 

Part of Ace instantly regrets letting his classmates know. It isn’t something he just lets anyone know. Even his brother had a difficult time prying the most minor details out of him when  _ that  _ happened. Ace bites his lip nervously. He feels the darkest depths of his anxieties gnawing at his insides, threatening to consume him whole.  _ Are my hands sweaty?  _ He digs his nails into his palms, feeling a disgusting stickiness against each crevice. He looks up, seeing the eagerness in Epel’s eyes and curiosity in the rest of the first years that awaited his story. 

Ace closes his eyes, breathing deeply as he silently adjusts the mask on his heart.

And memories of two winters ago come flooding into his mind like a tidal wave. 

_____

“Will you go out with me?” 

She was a girl from another class. With sparkling round eyes, wavy locks of hair, and dimples that stretched when she smiled. Ace had recalled that she  _ was  _ pretty cute. He’d sneak glances at her whenever she passed by in the hallway, listen to his basketball teammates gossip about her during practices, and (he still felt silly about this) casually doodled his name and hers in a heart in his notebooks. 

Ace hadn’t expected that she would ask him of all people out. He wasn’t the most popular. There were other guys who exceeded him in that. Looking back, he wondered what about him really stood out to her. 

He never really gave a second thought about dating. Some of his friends had girlfriends. Some of them didn’t. 

Dating. 

What a weird social construct. Ace remembered being ten, running home to the after school snack that awaited him on the countertop, and he’d hear his brother giggling with some girl in his bedroom when he came back from Night Raven College for break. Maybe there were weird noises here and there. But Ace always just gagged silently as he took the plate of cookies and ran to his room. 

Maybe he’d understand how his brother lived life if he himself got a girlfriend. Ace looked up to his brother a lot. It’d be nice if he could be like his brother. 

“Sure,” he had said.

Ace remembered the way her eyes gleamed with delight when he answered. 

_____

Grim stares at Ace. “Can’t believe you were a cheeky guy,” he huffs. 

Ace feels part of his anxiety alleviate from his chest. He cannot comprehend, but it somehow feels nice that his classmates were taking in his story lightheartedly. So far. 

Epel clasps his hands together, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Talking about love stories…” he sighs. “It’s so high school boys-like!” 

“Yeah.” Ace shrugs, trying to ignore the dread that was pooling in his stomach like ink blots. “I took my girlfriend to the amusement park, and we watched movies a lot.” 

“Amusement parks and movies?” Ortho chirps, the lights on his armor plating glowing enthusiastically. “I looked up those places in my manual, and no matter what era, these are the top date spots!” 

Epel turns to Ace. “So, what happened next?” 

Ace averts his eyes, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. 

This part of the story, he really doesn’t want to tell. 

_____

“What  _ do  _ girls like to do on a date?” Ace wondered out loud, tapping his pencil against his cheek. He leaned back on his chair, staring at the ceiling. His first date with his  _ girlfriend  _ was this weekend, yet he had not idea what to do. Should he hold her hand? Hug her?  _ Kiss her?  _ Ace cheeks flushed red thinking about the  _ image.  _ He groaned, staring at the list he scrawled for things to do. 

  * _pay for food?_


  * win her a prize - i guess (if i can)


  * put my arm around her on the ferris wheel


  * hold her hand??? 


  * kiss her



Ace scribbled out the last bit in a hurry. He bit his lip.  _ Why was this so frustrating! _ A though crossed his mind, probably his last resort out of desperation. Who else could he turn to? Reluctantly, he stood up from his desk and shuffled to his brother’s room. Thank the Great Seven his brother was visiting for the weekend. He opened the door, peeking his head in to see his brother lying on his bed, probably scrolling through MagiCam. 

“Hey,” Ace called out. He already felt uncomfortable at the incoming teasing he’ll probably get. But at this point, what else could he do? He kicked at the carpet. “I’m going on a date this weekend, and I don’t know what to do,” Ace finally blurted out after a few moments of silence. He shoved the list at his brother and ducked down, covering his face with his hoodie. 

A hand gently pulled down his hood and ruffled his hair. 

Ace blinked and looked up. 

His brother laughed. “Nice list you got going on here,” he grinned. “My little brother’s growing up! Would you look at that.” He then squinted at the item Ace crossed out. “What did you scribble out?”

“That’s not important!” Ace’s cheeks turned a tomato red. “I just.” He looked down at his socks. “I don’t wanna screw this up.” 

“You’ll be fine, little man.” His brother reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a pen, scribbling one last item onto the list.

  * _be yourself_



  
  
  


The last time Ace held hands with someone… it was his brother. He was three, and his brother had held his hand while they strolled through a shopping plaza with their parents. He had then let go momentarily, running over to a toy store window, staring at a magnificent toy train model gleaming through the glass. But when he turned around to look for his family, they weren’t there. He panicked, tears welling up in his eyes as he trailed through the crowd. A hand had then grabbed his arm. His brother. Ace remembers wailing as he ran into his brother’s arms (how embarrassing). 

His brother handed him an ice cream cone, and Ace stopped crying. “I-I’ll never let go of your hand again,” he hiccuped. 

His brother laughed, ruffling his hair. “You should be saying that to someone else, not me.” 

  
  
  


“Ace?

“Ace!” 

Ace blinked. His girlfriend stared at him prettily, slightly puzzled. 

“Oh.” His hand that wasn’t holding hers combed through his hair sheepishly. He smiled at her awkwardly, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. 

“Can we go on that next?” She pointed towards the carousel. 

“Is it okay if we ride that?” Ace nudged his head towards a roller coaster not too far away. He felt his girlfriend’s grip tighten around his hand. 

“I don’t like it when we go down the drop. I’d feel sick.” 

“It’s okay,” Ace said, trying to be encouraging. “I’ll put my arm around you so you’ll be safe.” He hoped that came out the way he intended it. 

Nevertheless, his girlfriend tugged on his hand, gently pulling them towards the carousel. “The carousel is way more fun! It’s slow, and it’s cute! We can take good pictures while we ride it.” 

Pictures. It was everything to her. 

Snapping a photo when Ace won a prize for her at the game booths. When he bought her a stick of cotton candy. When the park’s evening lights came on. Ace opened MagiCam as he climbed onto a wooden horse and leaned against the metal pole. Already, she had posted photos of their date for her hundreds of followers to see. 

_ First date at the amusement park!!! He’s so sweet <3 I couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend _

Ace scoffed quietly as he scrolled through the comments. 

  
  


_ you’re so cute together!!! _

_ wow, so cute lol  _

_ ur boyfriend sounds amazing!  _

_ wish that were me haha  _

  
  


Hearing so many people praise him for his “boyfriend qualities” sort of brushed away any signs of discomfort in that moment. Maybe he was doing something right after all. But still, Ace couldn’t help but let his gaze drift towards the new thrill ride that was so close yet so far. His friends had all talked about riding it the past weekend (a weekend he had spent with his brother before he went back to his own place). A sense of longing pooled in his gut. 

“Ace!” 

His girlfriend waved her phone at him. “Selfie!” 

He smiled at the camera, where she had set a filter. 

  
  


“That was fun,” she breathed as they strolled under the carnival lights. 

“Yeah.” 

Ace didn’t really know how to comprehend. He wasn’t exactly sure if  _ he  _ had fun. Aside from playing a few games, running around the mirror house, riding the carousel, and watching the sunset from the Ferris wheel… was there something he truly enjoyed from the day? But he supposed that seeing his girlfriend having the time of her life was enough for him. Maybe it was that. So he  _ was  _ doing something right. 

“Do you wanna see a movie with me after our test on Thursday?” 

“Sure.” 

_ Oh no _ . Ace regretted answering so eagerly. He had already made plans with his friends that afternoon. But he couldn’t help but return a cheeky grin at the  _ delighted  _ smile his girlfriend was giving. 

“You’re the best.” She then leaned forward on the edge of her feet, pressing a kiss onto his cheek. 

It was as if a strange entity possessed Ace in that moment, because he felt his arms moving on their own, wrapping around his girlfriend’s waist as his lips met hers fully as - somehow - fireworks burst into the sky. 

Come to think of it, his first kiss definitely felt awkward. His teeth bumped into hers, and his kiss felt sloppy. Yet when he pulled back, a warm glow had enveloped his girlfriend, and she looked absolutely awestruck and smitten (?). 

  
  
  


“You kissed her!” 

“No fucking way!” 

Ace laughed as his friends punched him lightly and groaned dramatically. 

“I still can’t believe you’re dating one of the cutest girls in this school,” one of his friends complained. 

Ace shrugged, eating another spoonful of his lunch. He turned his head, seeing his girlfriend sitting with her own group of her friends. She looked up, smiled and waved, in which he returned. 

His friends howled, making gross kissy faces as they smothered Ace with their teasing. 

Life was nice, Ace thought. He had a cute girlfriend, lots of friends, was doing alright in school. What better could he ask for? 

“By the way, you still coming with us to the movies after our test?” 

“Shit.” Ace groaned. “I told her that I’d also be watching a movie with her. I am  _ so  _ sorry.” 

“Hey, it’s fine.”

“We hang out all the time.” 

“Yeah, go spend time with your girlfriend!” 

Ace smiled in relief. He really did have a great group of friends. 

  
  
  


Ace usually wasn’t one to put extra care in how he dressed. He only did that for formal gatherings. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, squinting at the collared shirt and and khaki pants. Did this look okay? He wasn’t sure. He took a horrible mirror selfie and sent it to his brother worriedly. 

**[to: aniki. 3:42 p.m.]**

_ does this look ok  _

**[from: aniki. 3:44 p.m.]**

_ sniff sniff. my little brother’s growing up :”)  _

**[to: aniki. 3:45 p.m.]**

_ ur not answering my question  _

**[from: aniki. 3:45 p.m.]**

_ haha when did u get so serious? u look great  _

Ace tucked his phone into his pocket and grabbed his wallet before heading out the door. 

  
  
  


He waited a few minutes before his girlfriend turned up, donning a pretty flowery dress and completely decked out in accessories and light makeup. Somehow, even though he put the effort to dress somewhat nicely, Ace still felt underdressed compared to her. She smiled shyly before giving a light peck on his lips. His body shivered slightly from the affectionate gesture. 

Ace didn’t notice, but his girlfriend took out two tickets and handed his to him. He felt as if his mind didn’t  _ really  _ feel in the moment, but he still held her hand as he asked for a large bucket of popcorn and two drinks at the snacks counter. He also felt slightly out of it as his girlfriend led them into the theater room. 

When the opening credits began to play, it was then when Ace finally snapped out of his daze. 

He leaned over and whispered, “I thought we were watching that new action movie that came out.”

She looked (pleasantly) surprised. “No? This is the new romcom I wanted to see. Besides, it’s much more romantic.” 

“Oh.” 

Romantic, huh. 

Ace leaned back on the plush seat, staring at the screen and not feeling any information being absorbed. However, he did casually wrap an arm around his girlfriend, feeling her lean into his hold and sighing contently. He was doing something right. All was well. Maybe. 

The romcom was alright, but not something Ace would watch on a whim. The plot felt cheesy and kind of silly. Ace groaned silently to himself every time the couple on screen did something stupid. He subconsciously wondered if his brother ever had to watch cheesy movies with the girls he hung out with. As the movie went on, Ace couldn’t help but feel puzzled as he tried connecting the pieces between his relationship to the one on the screen. It had been only a week or two since he started dating. Yet why did he have a lingering feeling that was telling him that something didn’t feel  _ right _ ? He stared at the couple having their intimate moments, sad moments, and whatnot. Ace wondered if these would be things he and his girlfriend would be seeing through in the future of their relationship. 

Toward the climax of the movie, Ace felt a slight nudge against his side, noticing that his girlfriend was sneaking a  _ knowing  _ glance at him. 

He gave her a confused look, arching his brow. It was only when she started leaning in closer when he finally understood her signals.

Ah. 

Ace obliged, leaning down and slowly but surely meeting his lips with hers. They stayed like that for a moment. Two. Three.  _ Am I supposed to move?  _ Ace felt slightly uncomfortable. This kiss totally wasn’t like the one at the amusement park. He awkwardly shifted, angling his head to try something new (?). Well, he supposed it worked, because he heard his girlfriend breathe heavily as she kissed back more firmly. 

_ Why is this so  _ weird _?  _ He tried brushing away the thoughts that were crashing into his mind. Okay, so he was making out for the first time. Everyone probably had it weird on the first try. No big deal. Right? 

When they finally pulled back, his girlfriend looked blissed out, and she leaned onto his shoulder before whispering an “I love you.” 

Somehow, the words didn’t really feel right. Only a week. Two? Into their relationship and she was already using the L word. Was romance really something that was this  _ shallow _ ?

  
  
  


Never before had Ace felt so  _ bored  _ with school life. Classes were sometimes a pain, but at least in the previous months he always laughed through it with his friends. 

The months leading up to his middle school graduation felt like eternity. 

He can’t recall, but definitely could see that he had spent a lot of time walking his girlfriend to class, helping her hold her books, sitting with her and her friends during lunch. He didn’t notice, but he subconsciously felt he was drifting further away from his own group of friends. 

“Hey, wanna play video games with us this weekend?” 

Ace looked up from organizing his pencil case (something he had never bothered with before he started dating). “Sorry,” he said absent-mindedly. “I’m going to a cafe with my girlfriend.” 

His friends looked hurt. Ace cringed from his words. 

“You’ve been hanging out with her a lot recently,” one of his friends spoke up quietly. “We miss hanging out with you.” 

“You’ve changed a lot.” 

“Is everything okay, Ace?”

Ace bit his lip, staring at the cute eraser his girlfriend had given him for Valentine’s Day. Disgust gnawed at his insides, and anger boiled within him, threatening to spill over. 

Without a word, he stood up abruptly and grabbed his backpack, storming out of his classroom. Ace couldn’t stand it. He had to. He  _ needed  _ to be away. To be alone for once. 

“Ace?” 

He stopped, his eyes meeting with his girlfriend’s in the hallway. 

“Are you okay?”

_ No, I’m not _ . 

“I am,” he lied, mustering a weak smile. “I was just feeling… kind of sick and was gonna go home.” 

“Oh.” She walked towards him and pressed a small kiss onto his lips. Her lipgloss tasted overarchingly sweet and disgusting. “Feel better, okay? And oh, are we still down for visiting the cafe this weekend?” 

Ace felt sick to his stomach.  _ Aren’t you supposed to just tell me to feel better? Are you really asking me this?  _ Never mind, never mind. He was a good boyfriend. He had to be. 

“Can we take a raincheck on that?” He said quietly. “My mom wanted me to help her with something this weekend.”

“Oh, okay. Just text me when you wanna go, ‘kay?” 

Ace smiled weakly as his girlfriend went back to her classroom, leaving a spring in her step. 

  
  
  


Ace stared at the ceiling. He felt sick. Not physically. Mentally. He felt tired. Why, though? He looked at his phone’s lockscreen. A photo of him and his girlfriend at the amusement park. The filter on his face looked silly. His relationship was supposed to be perfect. His girlfriend was cute, and he’d always hear a “You look great together!” whenever they’d walk down the hallways hand in hand. But it somehow also felt superficial. 

He looked back upon the dozens if not hundreds of romcoms he had seen with his girlfriend in the past few months. The pairings had all looked like they  _ both  _ had the time of their lives. Both. Two. Ace felt lost. Why was it always him making sure she was happy? Those dates to the amusement park. She never wanted to ride any of the thrill rides. Even when he assured her that she would be okay. Those dates to the movies. It was always romcoms or movies about animals. He never got the chance to see his favorite genres with his friends these days. 

Ace then caught a glimpse on the mirror that hung on his wall. He  _ looked  _ tired. Small dark circles formed around his eyes.  _ Did I really stay up so much?  _ Mayhaps he did. Nights he had spent thinking about catering to his girlfriend’s happiness. Nights where he was putting her happiness above his own. 

He looked at his phone once again. Now flooded with countless texts and messages from his concerned friends. Ace felt so, so empty. 

Relationships. So fickle. So tiring. 

  
  
  


“Sorry I ran out on you guys like that yesterday,” Ace apologized the next day during lunch break. His hand reached up, combing through his hair out of habit. “I felt a bit sick, that’s all. And sorry I haven’t been able to hang out with you guys recently.” 

“It’s fine.” 

“Yeah, just tell us if you’re ever not feeling it, okay?” 

They all laughed, as if it were something miniscule. 

Ace leaned back on his chair, allowing himself to forget that he had a girlfriend in the moment. He then grinned. “Wanna play video games at my house today?” 

  
  
  


It was nice playing video games with his friends again. The familiar laughter, inside jokes being passed around. Ace hadn’t realized he had missed this feeling so much. 

But maybe not as much fun when his phone was being bombarded by calls and texts from his girlfriend every five minutes. 

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:12 p.m.]**

_ are u ok?? _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:12 p.m.]**

_ i didn’t see u at lunch today _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:12 p.m.]**

_ i miss u <3 _

Ace looked away from the conversation his friends were having in his living room, then sighed as he wrote out a reply. 

**[to: girlfriend <3\. 4:17 p.m.]**

_ sorry im with my friends rn  _

**[to: girlfriend <3\. 4:18 p.m.]**

_ we alr see each other every day lol  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:18 p.m.]**

_ ur cute haha  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:18 p.m.]**

_ so when were u gonna get back to me on our date?  _

Right. Ace had forgotten about the raincheck he had taken. 

**[to: girlfriend <3\. 4:22 p.m.]**

_ uhhh im not too sure yet  _

**[to: girlfriend <3\. 4:22 p.m.]**

_ i might be busy for a bit… ive been dealing with some stuff  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:23 p.m.]**

_ oh :(  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:25 p.m.]**

_ just let me know if ur ok!!  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:25 p.m.]**

_ see u at school then!  _

**[from: girlfriend <3\. 4:25 p.m.]**

_ love you <3 _

_ Love you _ . The words made Ace’s head spin. He looked back to his friends, who were laughing at another joke being passed around. 

He sighed. 

  
  
  


“Hey, Ace! Wanna go to the arcade with us this weekend?”    
  
“Huh?” Ace looked up from packing his backpack, ready to go home. “Oh.” He looked back down. “Maybe not today. My mom asked me to help with some things.” 

  
  
  


“Ace! We were gonna go to the movies. Wanna come?” 

Ace didn’t look up from finishing his notes. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I’m not feeling too well.” 

  
  
  


He felt sick. He hated lying to his friends. He hated being so alone. Holed up in his bedroom and lying on his bed after he finished his homework. Ace  _ wanted  _ to be with them. Surrounded by laughter and warmth and getting through school like this. Although it could never be the same. 

_ But what’s the point of being with them if you’re not having fun.  _

_ What’s the point of going through heartbreak when you don’t have friends in the first place.  _

_ You’re so selfish. Thinking about yourself over others.  _

_ Worthless. Absolutely the worst.  _

He checked his phone. Swarmed with messages from his friends. And his girlfriend. Ace wished he lived in a timeline where he didn’t have to answer his phone. A timeline where he could just relax and be himself. 

**[from: girlfriend. 6:02 p.m.]**

_ ace please talk to me. did i do something wrong? _

_ I’m tired of making sure  _ you’re  _ happy all the time.  _

Guilt stabbed at his chest. Ace felt awful for not telling his girlfriend - anyone - how he felt. No. This had to be something he dealt with by himself. He was cool. Like his brother. 

Not. 

  
  
  


Ace looked at his lunch. He was alone in the courtyard. It somehow peaceful, not hearing the now cacophonous chatter from different students in the cafeteria. 

Whatever. He picked up his burger. His favorite. If there was anything that’d make him feel better, it’d be- 

“Ace Trappola!” 

Ace jumped slightly, startled at the shrill voice that called his name. When he looked up, a horde of angry girls had him surrounded like a group of wolves ready to attack. 

Who were they? 

“Why aren’t you contacting her?” One of them said harshly. 

And that was where everyone else jumped in, hurling mouthfuls of insults and other unspeakable things to his face. 

“So pitiful!” 

“She’s been crying for days now, you know!” 

“You monster!” 

“Why don’t you step up to the bat and be a good boyfriend for once!” 

A good boyfriend. Ace grit his teeth. Hadn’t he been a good boyfriend till now? Why wasn’t he allowed just a  _ second  _ to breathe?

Ace threw his lunch tray aside, then grabbed his backpack and ran from the courtyard.

  
  
  


At half past three in the morning, Ace tried to sleep. He wanted to rest. Sleep away all the heartache and pain he felt in his chest. But he couldn’t. Not when said pain kept swarming in his thoughts like a storm. It wasn’t just his head that hurt anymore. His entire body ached with his physical and mental exhaustion. 

Ace glanced at his phone wearily. Another flood of messages. The only ones he could make out in the dark were angry texts from random numbers. No way those girls had his number. How could they have it? 

**[from: unknown number. 3:16 am]**

_ pick up ur phone already! asshole  _

**[from: unknown number. 3:20 am]**

_ stop being a piece of shit and call her!  _

**[from: unknown number. 3:25 am]**

_ pathetic  _

He hated it. He couldn’t stand it anymore. 

Finally, he lost his willpower and blindly reached for his phone, his fingers hitting the first contact he could think of to call. 

Why would he be awake at this hour? Of course he wouldn’t. Ace’s breath grew heavier with each ring. His eyes squeezed shut, ready for the voicemail to hit. 

“Ace?” 

He let out a huge breath of relief, but kept quiet.

His brother was on the other end of the phone, waiting for him to speak. Seconds, minutes passed by, yet Ace still remained speechless. He still heard his brother, which felt reassuring, but why did he still feel so afraid to talk? It was then his brother who broke the silence first. 

“How are you?”

“I don’t know.” It was all Ace could manage to say at the moment. 

“You can talk to me.” His brother tried again. “I’m here.” 

Something felt wet on his eyes.  _ Oh.  _ Ace hated it when he was on the verge of tears. And he knew that his brother would know if he started crying, even if it was quiet. 

“I hate being around people,” Ace choked out. “I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing if everyone around me is happy. Why can’t I just be selfish for once? I just wanna stay at home for the rest of the year.” 

He didn’t realize he was crying - wet, hot tears streaking down his cheeks as he collapsed into a mess of sobbing. But it wasn’t just tears of sadness he was letting out. Also relief. Relief that he could finally lift up some of the troublesome weight off his chest for the first time in months. Ace felt like he was three again, running into his brother’s arms and letting his tears flow freely. Ace didn’t care anymore if he was an ocean of tears. He didn’t mind if his brother didn’t say anything at the moment. His presence was more than enough. 

Ace was allowed to cry. 

_ be yourself  _

He remembered what his brother had scribbled onto his list of things to do on his first date. 

_____

Ace tosses another fistful of streamers into the growing pile on the floor. His heart doesn’t feel as heavy anymore, now that he’s told his classmates his (condensed) love life in middle school. They don’t have to hear the  _ full  _ story but… whatever. Ace feels  _ indifferent  _ towards a period that felt so dark in his life. Which feels strange. 

He thinks about the friends he had detached himself from to protect his crumbling emotions. He thinks about the girl he had “broken up” with to save his happiness. 

Strange. 

They do not matter as much anymore. 

_ Maybe I should try patching things up when I go back home next time,  _ Ace thinks absentmindedly as he pops another balloon.  _ It’d be nice if all of us got together again.  _

“You know,” he remarks out loud. His classmates pause their cleaning to look at him. “This time, Epel and I were both saved by Dorm Head Riddle and Rook-senpai.”

“That’s true.” Epel smiles in relief. “If the two of them weren’t there I don’t think we could have gotten this far.” 

Ace props himself on a chair, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling still filled with many balloons to pop. “When I saw our dorm head take on that many ghosts alone, I thought of this.

“Isn’t the dorm head pretty cool?”

He then straightens, furrowing his brows. “I also want to get better at using magic,” he announces. “Right now, I’m sure I’m not match against either the dorm head or even the other seniors, but…” 

Ace grins. “One of these days, I’ll show off my real abilities and go, ‘How’s that!

“Just imagining the seniors looking at my incredible magic in awe, isn’t that exhilarating?” He laughs, involuntarily reaching up to comb through his hair with his fingers. “And inorder to do that… I think I’d have to study a bit more seriously before focusing on love.” 

“I’ve never seen you this serious before,” Yuu snickers as they return from tossing out a bag of party supplies. Ace blows a raspberry in response. 

“...He’s right.” Epel puffs up his chest a little. “I think so, too! I’m going to study harder to become a great magician!” 

Sebek crosses his arms smugly. “So you understand it after all, don’t you.” 

“We all have to study harder!” Deuce says as he pumps his fist. 

“Being told that by Deuce who only gets failing marks adds even more weight to the words, though,” Jack points out. 

Everyone turns to Deuce, who flushes a light red. 

“Ahh!!” Ace yells, throwing another bunch of streamers on the floor in frustration.” In the end everyone got so caught up in talking that we haven’t made in progress in cleaning up!

“Being told some pretty harsh things by the ghosts, and now being made to work overtime… we’re all so lame!” He whines. Not to mention that the hair gel slicking his normally messy locks back is now feeling sticky and gross. A hot shower would really do it in this moment. 

“There wasn’t a single good thing that happened today.” 

“That’s not true!” Ortho giggles. “The headmaster and I were watching the video of Ace Trappola-san’s entrance to the wedding hall… Rushing in with a bouquet then yelling “ _ Wait a minute! _ ” with a serious expression. It really looked like a movie!” He sighs almost dreamily. “Ace Trappola-san who was desperately trying his best for the sake of my brother… Was really really cool!” Ortho ends with a small spin in the air. 

Ace feels a rush of heat building up in his cheeks. “I-I wasn’t really desperate or anything like that. That was just because I was running from the ghosts. You know, just the ‘flow’ of events.” 

He couldn’t tell if he was lying. Maybe he really did pour his heart into his dramatic speech to Princess Eliza earlier. Feelings he wanted to feel when he first started dating. Feelings he wanted to have throughout the course of a relationship that crashed and burned. 

He doesn’t want to feel vulnerable. They’ll all walk away from him in the end. So why not get over with this eventual heartbreak right here, right now? Yet… 

“No,” Ortho says gently. “The Ace who burst into the wedding hall was serious. The words that you said to the bride and her vassals were also your true feelings, right?” 

“There’s no way Ace is that pure,” Grim yawns. “I’m sure it’s just his usual way of throwing around empty words while he’s talking.” Yuu elbows the cat gently, as if sensing what was really boiling down in Ace’s heart. 

Right? Right! 

He is a horrible person. Selfish, crass Ace Trappola who would become the best magician in the world by himself. 

“R-r-right!” Ace stammers, trying to mask his face with his cheeky grin. “Grim gets it.” 

Ortho continues, “Based on my thermography mode at the time, rise in body temperature, volume of voice, and pupil dilation… All data shows that Ace-san was ‘serious’ at that time. You don’t have to hide it. You’re a very shy person, aren’t you!” 

Really? 

“Then…

“The things you said about what makes an “ideal marriage partner” to the ghost bride…

“They were Ace’s real feelings.” 

Deuce, Jack, and Sebek start laughing. 

“It’s wonderful that Ace-san already has an ideal marriage partner in mind!” Ortho does another little spin in the air. 

“Huh?! That’s not-” Ace trips over his words. “There’s just no way!” He protests. “I just said those things to be able to convince the ghosts!” 

His classmates feel otherwise, hints of mischievousness glinting in their eyes as they give him a  _ knowing  _ look. 

Grim floats right up to Ace smugly. “You’re really flustered, though~?”

“‘ _ I think I’ve fallen in love with Trappola-kun!’  _ is what the headmaster said,” Ortho adds. “Based on literature and statistics, if you confess with the same amount of passion as today, there’s no doubt anyone would fall in love with Ace-san!” 

“There wasn’t any passion…” Ace could only muster a weak opposition this time. “That wasn’t a confession!” 

Ace feels mortified, as if he was back in middle school again. Damn Idia’s “little brother” who could poke into the inner workings of his mind! And damn all his classmates for making him feel so  _ vulnerable _ ! So what if he maybe sort of lied about not thinking about love for now? He was so lame, just like when Jack had been all serious about finding the one he’d spend the rest of his life with. Maybe his first relationship turned out all wrong… but still. 

_ “The ideal marriage partner is someone who’ll cry and laugh together with you. And someone who’ll work hard together when you face hard times!” He had yelled to a startled Princess Eliza. He clenched his fist, imagining himself in front of his ex-girlfriend. Pouring out all the true feelings he had suppressed throughout a broken relationship.  _

_ “Stop thinking of me - anyone - as a prince!” _

At some point he’s accepted that he’s a shitty person. But Ace doesn’t care. Maybe not too much. But that was also okay. Everyone’s shitty, one way or another. And that was okay. 

“You put that much effort in, huh…” Epel turns to Ortho excitedly. “Ace-kun’s cool appearance… I also want to be able to see it properly, if I could? Too bad I was kickin’ around some ghosts and I missed it!” 

“Leave it to me!” Ortho beams. “It’s properly recorded. I’ll send it to you later!” 

“D-don’t record it!” Ace cries. Fuck, could this get any more  _ embarrassing _ ? His knees feel weak, and he just wants to spend the rest of the school year hiding under the covers on his bed. 

Deuce stifles a chuckle, turning to Yuu. “When we finish cleaning up, let’s watch it all together at the Ramshackle dorm if that’s alright?” Yuu nods eagerly. 

“Watching the actual scene will be fun,” Jack remarks. “Suddenly, I’m not sleepy anymore.” 

Sebek grins. “I will also be grading your performance! You called me today’s number one hopeless man. I will make sure to thoroughly judge you, so prepare yourself!” 

“Don’t hold a watch party!” Ace throws another handful of streamers at his classmates and crouches down, desperately trying to hide his now tomato red face in embarrassment. 

“Don’t be shy,” Yuu laughs, trying to be encouraging. “I actually want to praise you for today’s bravery.” 

“Not you, too!” Ace groans. 

“That’s right! Ace Trappola-san who has given the ideal marriage so much thought is surely… the most wonderful groom!” 

“...Ah, jeez! I-I already told you…” He feels the ‘cool’ part of himself crumbling by the second. Lame. “I-I wasn’t really serious or anything, okay!” 

“Uwaa~” Grim holds his furry stomach as he laughs. “Ace’s ears are bright red!” 

“It’s true.” Deuce’s lips curl into a smile. “That’s pretty rare.” 

“Hey, Ortho,” Jack calls. “Take a video of this, too.” 

Grim tugs on Yuu’s arms excitedly. “Take a photo with the ghost camera as well, Yuu!” 

“Everyone keeps toying with me…” Ace’s voice turns meek. “Seriously, give me a break already!” 

Ace couldn’t tell if the stream of compliments and the lighthearted teasing made him feel purely joyous or like he wanted to collapse in tears. His heart doesn’t feel heavy or loaded with pain or sadness. Instead… he feels. Warm. As if he were eating his a slice of cherry pie fresh out of the oven. Something like that. He bites his lip to suppress the smile that threatened to overcome his face. Alright, alright. He’s already been vulnerable enough for one night. Perhaps this is the true feeling that he felt was missing when he shut himself away from his friends in middle school. Something like this that truly made him feel happy and where he could be himself. 

He glances at Yuu laughing along with the rest of his classmates and sharing the videos and photos they had taken. 

He’s really changed in these last few months, huh. It feels like yesterday when he almost picked a fight with them and Grim in Main Street. Yesterday when he and Deuce extorted a latte from the cafeteria to help catch Grim. And yesterday when he ran across a  _ desert  _ to save Yuu. 

Deuce, whom he can’t be in the same room for five minutes without arguing. Epel, whom turned out to be a pretty cool guy to talk to. Jack, who was alright but still someone he could rely on. And even Sebek, as noisy as he was, not a bad guy. 

Ace hates admitting it, but he’s never felt happier at Night Raven College. Classes suck, but his classmates - his  _ friends  _ \- make it better. And he feels as if he can be more vulnerable around them. Maybe. Only when he really feels like it. 

How uncool. Thinking of silly, sentimental thoughts like these. 

Oh well. 

He’s still Ace Trappola. Crass, cheeky, likes to skip class, and having fun. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> me laying in bed at 3 am: hahahahaha what if ace is crass and mean bc it's a self defense mechanism he puts up to cope with dealing with people after he not so officially breaks up with his ex 😳
> 
> if u couldnt tell i love ace a lot and ghost marriage fed me so well i still think about his dramatic ass speech to eliza every day i just love this stupid baby so much /cries i love how much he's grown in the chapters we've gotten so far and i'm so proud that he's made so much friends he can be vulnerable with 🥺💖 i also listened to iu's into the i-land while writing this and the lyrics kinda did it for me
> 
> ((this fic was just something that manifested in my never ending ace brain rot and also something to get off my chest while i write the next chapter of the apple in their eyes)) 
> 
> i used youtube user hannah's translations for the dialogue that came from ace's personal story! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsL1hdb6qkw)
> 
> my twiter is @sakureis if you ever want me to cry with me about ace <3
> 
> thank u for reading!


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